Estimate how much equity you can access from your home.
Excellent (740+)
Good (680-739)
Fair (620-679)
Estimated HELOC Amount
How a HELOC Calculator Works
A Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) is a revolving line of credit secured by your home. To determine how much you can borrow, lenders use a formula based on your Combined Loan-to-Value (CLTV) ratio.
The standard formula used by our calculator is:
(Home Value × Max CLTV %) – Remaining Mortgage Balance = Available HELOC
Understanding CLTV Limits
Most lenders allow a CLTV of 80% to 85%. This means the sum of all your home loans (primary mortgage plus the new HELOC) cannot exceed 80-85% of the home's appraised value. Higher credit scores may unlock higher CLTV limits, sometimes up to 90%.
Home Value
Mortgage Balance
80% CLTV Limit
Borrowing Power
$400,000
$200,000
$320,000
$120,000
$500,000
$350,000
$400,000
$50,000
$300,000
$250,000
$240,000
$0 (Insufficient Equity)
Key Factors Influencing Your HELOC
Appraised Value: Professional appraisals often come in lower than Zillow estimates.
Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio: Even if you have equity, lenders check if your income can support the potential payments.
Credit Score: Higher scores result in lower interest rates and higher borrowing limits.
function calculateHELOC() {
var homeValue = parseFloat(document.getElementById('heloc_homeValue').value);
var mortgageBalance = parseFloat(document.getElementById('heloc_mortgageBalance').value);
var cltvLimit = parseFloat(document.getElementById('heloc_cltvLimit').value);
// Validation
if (isNaN(homeValue) || isNaN(mortgageBalance) || isNaN(cltvLimit)) {
alert("Please enter valid numeric values for all fields.");
return;
}
if (homeValue 0) {
resultValue.innerHTML = "$" + maxHELOC.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 0, maximumFractionDigits: 0});
resultValue.style.color = "#27ae60";
resultSummary.innerHTML = "Based on a " + cltvLimit + "% CLTV limit, your total borrowing capacity is $" + totalBorrowingCapacity.toLocaleString() + ". After subtracting your existing $" + mortgageBalance.toLocaleString() + " mortgage, you have approximately $" + maxHELOC.toLocaleString() + " in available equity.";
} else {
resultValue.innerHTML = "$0";
resultValue.style.color = "#e74c3c";
resultSummary.innerHTML = "Currently, your mortgage balance ($" + mortgageBalance.toLocaleString() + ") exceeds the " + cltvLimit + "% CLTV threshold ($" + totalBorrowingCapacity.toLocaleString() + "). You may need more equity before you can open a HELOC.";
}
// Smooth scroll to result
resultBox.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}